Mt. Fuji Climbers to be Charged Fee even from Shizuoka Pref.; Between ¥3,000 – ¥5,000 from Next Summer

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, November 19, 2024

SHIZUOKA — Shizuoka Prefecture plans to charge a toll of between ¥3,000 and ¥5,000 per person to climb Mt. Fuji starting next summer as part of efforts to combat overtourism.

Mt. Fuji straddles Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures, and can be climbed from both prefectures. Yamanashi Prefecture already collects a ¥2,000 hiking fee from climbers in addition to the cooperation fee for maintenance and conservation, and has begun restricting access to the mountain after 4 p.m.

On the Shizuoka Prefecture side, there are three routes — Fujinomiya, Subashiri and Gotemba — and about 89,000 people, or 40% of the total number of Mt. Fuji climbers, used these routes in the summer.

The prefecture also plans to limit the number of climbers on Mt. Fuji after learning that Yamanashi Prefecture — which introduced the climbing restriction and fee this summer — saw the effect in reducing “bullet climbing,” which involves climbing through the night to reach the summit.

Three options were considered for the entrance fee to cover the cost of personnel to check the number of climbers at the starting point of a route up the mountain: ¥3,000, ¥4,000, and ¥5,000. The plan will be presented at a meeting with local government and mountain lodge officials as early as Thursday. It will then be refined based on the opinions of those involved.

The prefectural government hopes to submit the draft ordinance to the prefectural assembly in February next year.

Climbing restrictions will be determined for each trail as the time it takes to reach the summit or the halfway point at the mountain lodges varies. The prefecture plans to restrict access to the mountain after 1 p.m. on the Gotemba route, which takes the longest to reach the summit, after 3 p.m. on the Subashiri route and after 4 p.m. on the Fujinomiya route.

The prefecture is currently asking each climber to pay a voluntary cooperation fee of ¥1,000 to support conservation and maintenance efforts on Mt. Fuji. The voluntary fee is expected to be included in the toll to be introduced next season.